Somaliland:Consultative Meetings on the Legal Gaps and Challenges of Land Dispute Tribunals

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Participants of the two important consultative meetings aimed at increasing the capacity of Somaliland’s Land Dispute Tribunalsthe

LAW and UN-Habitat in collaboration with the Somaliland’s Ministry of Interior and Public Works organised and facilitated two important consultative meetings aimed at increasing the capacity of Somaliland’s Land Dispute Tribunals.

The first was a one day consultative meeting was held on 27 May, 2015 at Maan-soor Hotel, Hargeisa, and focused on the administrative challenges to land dispute resolution in Somaliland with particular focus on land dispute tribunals. Over 45 participants from Key Stake holders on the land administration and land dispute resolution attended the event: Director Generals of Ministries of Interior, Public Works, Agriculture, Environment and Religious Affairs, Judges from Regional Appeal Courts of Hargeisa, Bebera and Boorama, Mayors of Berbera, Boorama, Zaila, Sheik, Odeweyne and Gabiley; Lawyers and members of Land Dispute Tribunals of Hargeisa, Berbera and Boorama attended and participated in the consultation meeting.

Participants discussed and deliberated on existing systems and practices of land dispute with particular focus on administrative challenges to the existing and functioning land dispute tribunals.

The second event was a two days meeting held on 31 May to 1 June, 2015 at Maan-soor Hotel, Hargeisa –Somaliland. Over 30 participants among them officials from Ministries of Justice, Interior and public works, legal aid and practicing lawyers, judges, prosecutors, law lecturers, members of Land Dispute Tribunals and public notary officers, officers from UN- Habitat – Hargeisa Office were also in attendance.

The meeting discussed Somaliland laws and practices related to land administration and land dispute resolution in general, and on loopholes and gaps in the current urban land management and urban land dispute resolution legal frame work. Participants also studied and considered the land dispute resolution best practices developed and implemented in other jurisdictions. The Head of UN Habitat’s Hargeisa office, Acting Director general of Ministry of Public Works and other government officials presented opening remarks on the occasion

Both meetings discovered and underlined challenges to Land Dispute System in Somaliland and likewise forwarded recommended measures to improve functionality of system.